Second Update, Not a Bonus Chapter

(Bai Ziye)

"I have other things to attend to, so I'll take my leave now! See you another day!"

Yin Lu led us to the reception room on the Research Level, then waved and left.

"Your Highness, Miss Knight! Your visit is quite abrupt! Don't you have classes?"

Still sporting that unfamiliar wife's face, dressed in androgynous... no, completely feminine attire, she greeted us together with Achernar.

"Don't mention us. I'm more curious about your current identities. Were you recruited by SpiCa?"

Their current job is to ensure the safety of the Research Level when SpiCa is absent. They can do whatever they want, but basically they're active online as Flow Princess in the research lab...

"Hey, why are you making us sound like traitors?"

"From a political standpoint, you did indeed defect from the Other Side, didn't you?"

"But the Achernar and I are now your allies."

As Liu said this, the mermaid Tai Mei, who rarely spoke, nodded in agreement.

"Alright, friendly forces."

I shrugged.

"Since SpiCa trusts you so much, even allowing you to help look after the research department, could you help me answer some of my questions?"

"You want to ask about Anjie, right?"

"Yes, I want to know what happened to her."

"She became like that because her 'witch' personality awakened, but that personality wasn't mature yet; it was essentially in its infancy."

They can't even speak; they really are like babies.

"The witch's personality?"

"It's part of the Witchification Process. When this personality absorbs Anjie's original personality and draws nourishment from her memories, she will become a complete witch, just like Achernar is now."

Is this how witches replace magical girls?

As expected, those magical girls from seven years ago are beyond redemption.

Ceruno, however, asked, "Is this process reversible?"

"Normally, there's no hope, since this absorption process takes place in the brain... or rather, the soul. But we have a master of manipulating the brain by our side... SpiCa will find a way to stop this process. As long as she's not completely absorbed, she has a way to save the original Anjie."

Ceruno hurriedly asked, "If that's the case, why haven't Miss Halley and Father changed like this?"

"They are witches directly transformed in this world from polluted Star Crystal and a large amount of darkness. They are different from witches created in laboratories, but for 'the Other Side,' witches with newly formed personalities are definitely more reliable..."

Is it reliable?

Recalling Aldebaran's words, I countered, "But the higher-ups on 'the Other Side' don't entirely trust new combat forces like 'witches,' do they?"

"Um?"

The flow was created and immediately put into the wormhole for testing. Although Aldebaran tampered with it, he knew very little about the situation on the "The Other Side".

But the Achernar clearly knew what I was talking about.

Then he spoke, "They are indeed afraid of the witches' overwhelming strength, but we, like them, were created as 'Fusion Warrior.' As long as we continue to fight for that will, we will eventually gain the approval of the higher-ups... Most witches think this way, and Fomalhaut is no exception."

"You guys are really foolish. Since you're not well-liked over there, you might as well switch sides and come over here sooner."

The Shark Princess Witch shook her head, only vaguely explaining, "Switchment is impossible; the sense of belonging is completely different... If I hadn't been abandoned and hadn't been unable to go back, I might still be your enemy."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and rubbed the pale green scales on his arm, making a soft rustling sound...

Even now, does she still identify more with Monster?

The Shark Princess Witch's words created a subtle atmosphere in the reception room. Ceruno quickly asked, "Ahem, has the Association made any progress in its research on Simulacrum Factor and Dark Energy?"

"No, the research department of the Sky Branch was originally ahead in this area, but it was bombed indiscriminately by Betelgeuse as if venting its anger... The Research Level you see has been repaired, but the research data you can't see and the researchers who lost their lives will never return... Forget progress, it's a complete regression."

Liu said it was a pity, but his tone didn't seem to take it too seriously.

"Is that so... I have another question!"

Ceruno became more talkative, which saved me the trouble of having to speak, as I was the injured one.

She asked, "Has the proportion of Skyreach City being Dark Erosion decreased?"

"No, the Association currently lacks the capacity to purify that power on a large scale. The scattered darkness is actually harmless. If we were to artificially gather it together, it might actually solidify into Black Crystal, causing people with severe negative emotions to turn into Monster."

It's a tricky situation; relying solely on purification tools placed in the streets and alleys is unlikely to completely eliminate the ever-growing darkness.

It's like a damn gray rhinoceros.

Even though we've uncovered the enemy's plan, at this stage we can only watch helplessly as the trouble escalates...

"Can I collect the darkness on a massive scale and then let Miluno devour it all?"

"How big can your bubble get? Let alone the whole world, how long will it take you to clean up just this Skyreach City? This isn't a problem that the two of us can solve, Ceruno. We need to find a more efficient solution."

Besides, I don't know how much Dark Energy my Crystal can purify.

The Witch Domain in the stadium alone has already turned the ends of my hair white; if there were any more, I'm afraid I'd become a white-haired witch.

"Since there's been no progress, Ceruno and I will be leaving now."

Just as he was about to stand up, Liu pressed his hand down.

"Wait, I have something else to say."

"What's wrong?"

"Only a select few know that you can open a wormhole with your bare hands. Don't spread the word. Miss SpiCa asked us to keep it a secret; she suspects there's an informant planted by the former president within the Association."

"... Aren't you two the prime suspects?"

Liu waved his hand in denial, saying, "Of course it couldn't be us. We're insiders, how could we be targeted by Betelgeuse?"

All that fuss about putting on this show was definitely unnecessary. Judging from Aldebaran's words, Ceruno's father held this card very tightly; even she didn't know who the mole was...

I asked, "So, does SpiCa have any leads regarding this inside man?"

"No, or rather, there are simply too many suspects. The Prosecutorate is investigating this matter, but Sun Ji was once the Association's chairman and is also a retired legendary magical girl. His extensive network of connections makes it impossible to investigate, and the progress is extremely slow."

I know my parents have been investigating Ceruno's father's connections, but so far, it seems they haven't found many useful clues from that angle.

But if we think about it from the Other Side, by approaching it from Sun Ji's perspective, we will definitely be able to find the traitor.

"Perhaps I can make full preparations and go again."

For a short reconnaissance mission, it's not necessary to bring Ceruno and Aunt Yuehan along.

Doesn't Hephaestus possess magical encapsulation technology?

Are there any readers still willing to join the book group? (QQ group: 954245459)